Chapter 267
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Soaring Peak.
A beautiful canyon of mountains that towered over verdant valleys, yet infested with trees and moss. Below, demonic creatures dwelled in the depths of its dense forests, lurking and hunting unfortunate victims and the like. An ominous air hung over the eerie atmosphere, the thick, gloomy air of the forest permeated with dread.
Glowing red eyes darted across the shadows, barely visible silhouettes of monstrosities rustling the leaves. The scent of death and blood strongly infused the surroundings, which appeared to intensify the bloodlust of the merciless denizens.
Despite the foul atmosphere, the peaks themselves were barren, soaring high into the sky and almost appearing to be something from another world. Atop one of those cliffs, two figures stood.
Lie Yang of the Blazing Sun Sect, and Bai Yue of the Lunar Moon Sect. The former was a middle-aged man with a neatly trimmed beard and a majestic stature, his dark cloak billowing behind him, and the latter was a woman a couple of years his junior, her beauty undiminished despite her age, and her long hair elegantly tied up into a bun. Sort of like Michelle Yeoh, I guess? Anyway, she was dressed in a simple but expensive dress.
"Senior," Bai Yue spoke up. "You and Li Tian Zun are ranked among the top of the Great Zhou Empire. Have you met him before?"
"No." Lie Yang turned to face her and shook his head. He took a deep breath, unable to still the uneasiness in his heart. "We're meeting for the first time tonight. To be honest, I never imagined that he would agree to cooperate with us."
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"The Martial Arts Alliance has forced our hands," Bai Yue explained bitterly. "If we do not stand united, then they will destroy us. Now, when they are falling out and divided, it's the best time to strike. To destroy them before they exterminate us."
Lie Yang nodded silently, conceding the point. He was not a violent man by nature, but he had chosen this path, and now the orthodox sects had declared him as an enemy. This was no longer a battle he faced by choice, but one that he was forced to win to ensure the survival of his sect.
"Besides, it's not as if we trust him," Bai Yue added, sensing her senior's mood. "We're just entering a cooperative relationship for mutual benefits. I'm sure you're aware of Tian Sha Tian Zun's notorious reputation."
"He does tend to backstab his allies to absorb their forces into his sect," Lie Yang acknowledged. "I hope you've devised a countermeasure for that."
"Of course." Bai Yue smiled. "Who do you think I am?"
The scheming queen of the moon. Bai Yue was famous for her schemes, plots and conspiracies. She was not as strong in combat as Lie Yang or Li Tian Zun, but she could certainly outwit them. More than a handful of powerful orthodox sects had fallen prey to her intricate traps, and ruthlessly annihilated. Bai Yue was capable of turning steadfast allies against each other, or making use of civil discord and inner strife to tear sects apart.
Lie Yang returned the smile, assured. As fearsome as Bai Yue was in terms of betrayals, she had always remained loyal to him. The two of them had a long history together, having trained under the same master before they decided to branch out and found their own sects. Even after they took charge of their own individual sects, the two remained close and fostered a strong alliance. Despite the Blazing Sun Sect and Lunar Moon Sect being two disaparate entities, most other demonic sects recognized them as two-in-one or the Sun and Moon Sect.
Not that anyone dared to say that to their faces.
"…That bastard sure is taking his time."
Lie Yang scowled when he detected a powerful trace of qi at the bottom of the cliff. Bai Yue nodded and placed a snow-white finger on her chin, uncertain because she didn't possess senses as sharp as her senior's.
"Li Tian Zun should be here any minute now."
"Here he is." Lie Yang's mood darkened, but he suppressed his frown. Bai Yue also detected Li Tuan Zun's presence a few seconds later, and the both of them turned toward the ramp that led to the peak of the cliff.
A few minutes later, the massive, muscular figure of Tian Sha Tian Zun strode up to tower over the both of them.
Even though he was twice the height of Bai Yue and about one and a half times as tall as the fairly sturdy Lie Yang, neither of the already present sect leaders were intimidated. They merely glanced up at the demonic visage, his red skin covered by black tattoos as usual. He kind of resembled a Japanese oni from old myths, but with more majestic clothing. Even though he wore a huge black cloak, his upper torso was bare, only half-concealed by the cloak. With only a metallic pauldron adorning his right shoulder, Li Tian Zun was otherwise displaying his broad chest and dorsal muscles for all to see. Not that girls would fall for a monstrous figure like his, but…well…it was a display of strength, not attractiveness.
"Lie Yang."
Li Tian Zun settled his eyes on Lie Yang, who glared back evenly, refusing to back down despite the intimidating aura pervading their surroundings. The leader of the Blazing Sun Sect merely nodded in acknowledgement.
"Tian Sha Tian Zun."
Bai Yue, on the other hand, could only gape at his imposing figure in shock. She didn't feel any fear, of course, but she was taken aback by how imposing Li Tian Zun was. His demonic aura exceeded her expectations.
However, being the sly schemer, she hid her surprise with a clap.
"Ha ha ha ha!" she laughed, her tone laced with flattery. "Both of you are top leaders indeed! The qi you're exuding is suffocating me!"
"There's no need for false flattery, Bai Yue." Li Tian Zun fixed his ominous gaze on her. "Let's get straight to the point."
"Very well." Smiling, Bai Yue bowed deferentially despite not being cowed by his overbearing demeanor. "I don't want to waste too much time on formality anyway. Let us begin. If you two would follow me…"
She led them to a small base camp that had been set up on the top of another peak. Tech-priests were murmuring incantations as they layered their precious machines with oil, and coaxing the lerthargic machine spirits to wake up…
…sorry, wrong universe. Technicians had set up a few holographic devices to beam 3D holograms into the air, which formed a detailed map of Wu Ling City. Right at the base of Wu Ling City was Wu Ling Academy.
"As you already know, Wu Ling City is a bastion of the Martial Arts Alliance. Ever since its establishment, it has never fallen. Not even once. It's the pride of the Alliance, having held out against the assaults of enemies for millennia."
Bai Yue smiled and licked her lips.
"Imagine the psychological blow to their moral we would deal if we successfully bring it down."
"Very clever." Li Tian Zun conceded with a nod. "If all goes well, this could even be a fatal blow to the Alliance…the start of their demise."
"One thing at a time," Lie Yang cautioned. "We don't know if we'll really be able to destroy the Martial Arts Alliance with this alone. In the first place, we still need to take down Wu Ling City, and it is a formidable place."
"Senior is correct, of course," Bai Yue agreed as she raised a hand and magnified one of the 3D holographic maps. "Wu Ling City's reputation is not without merit. Of attention is this Wu Ling Academy, and I wish to designate it as one of our main targets."
"I have heard rumors." Li Tian Zun nodded gravely. "Their young students have been given artificial qi, and they have been rapidly progressing along the martial way. I heard that many of them are just years away from reaching our levels – levels we took decades to reach. If we do not eliminate them immediately, then they will become an immense threat in future."
Lie Yang frowned. "It does not sit well with me to murder children."
"You think of them as children, Lie Yang?" Li Tian Zun scoffed. "Don't be naïve. In a few years, you will regret letting them live. They aren't children – given their insane growth, they are basically monsters. Don't let their appearances deceive you."
"Li Tian Zun is right," Bai Yue hastily added before her senior could muster a retort. "They may be young, but they still pose a formidable threat, especially in future. If we let them grow and develop their martial arts, we will no longer have the ability to defeat them in future. Then we would be exterminated by them instead."
"…even so…"
Lie Yang was still uncomfortable with the plan, but Bai Yue pushed on.
"Don't forget who is in the academy. The teachers are all top-rate martial artists. Not to mention the present director is Xiao Zhang, the famous hero of the Great Zhou Empire who single-handedly annihilated the Dark Forces Sect. He will not let his academy be razed without a fight. To get to the students, we must first defeat the adults, and each one of them is a formidable warrior in his or her own right. If you don't like fighting children, then you must admit that the teachers who are educating them are also strong enemies."
"How about this?" Li Tian Zun looked pretty pleased despite the objections to the scheme he so clearly favored. "Since Lie Yang is uncomfortable with launching an assault on the academy, I will do it. I'll lead my forces and attack Wu Ling Academy. I'll slaughter Xiao Zhang and all his staff, and then…I will eliminate the children." He turned to Lie Yang with a sneer. "That way you don't have to dirty your hands with the blood of children."
"That will be a great idea," Bai Yue quickly agreed before Lie Yang could protest. "We'll leave the academy to you then, Li Tian Zun."
"Thank you."
Little did Lie Yang and Bai Yue knew that Li Tian Zun's vendetta against the academy stretched beyond pragmatism or the future. He had a personal score to settle with the students of Wu Ling Academy, especially since he had obtained information that the prime suspects who murdered his son, Li Xue Wu, were students from that hated academy.
Even before this meeting, Tian Sha Tian Zun had long resolved to destroy Wu Ling Academy at any cost, to make them pay for the death of his son.
Of course, he made no mention of that to the other two sect leaders. Bai Yue most likely knew about it, or was at least vaguely aware. She had spies everywhere to collect intelligence on her enemies and her rivals. No doubt she knew about his son's death. She might even know who was responsible, but she had no intention of sharing that information.
Not unless Li Tian Zun was willing to pay the price.
There was no need to, however. Now that Li Tian Zun was given the task of exterminating Wu Ling Academy, he could just massacre all of its students. He didn't need to know which one of them killed his son – all of them would pay for his death with their lives.
"That's settled then. My senior, Lie Yang, together with his disciples, will lead a force of over 500 martial artists, as well as an army of demons, to serve as the vanguard. They will strike from the east. Senior, I'll leave bringing down the eastern gate to you."
Lie Yang nodded as he listened to Bai Yue's plan. Placing one hand in front of his chest, he bowed. "It will be done. The eastern gate will fall, or I will lose my life in the attempt."
"I will hold 200 martial artists in reserve, and lead 300 of them to assault the north gate. Oh, and we'll have a reinforcement of several hundred demons too." Bai Yue then turned to Li Tian Zun. "What do you think?"
"Fine. Then I'll lead 400 martial artists and a contingent of demons to attack the western gate. My sister will serve as my colonel." Tian Sha Tian Zun approached the holographic map. "That is where the academy is located anyway."
"Excellent!" Bai Yue was delighted. "It's extremely reassuring to have you cooperate with us, Li Tian Zun! And with your sister, Tian Sha Crow, joining the invasion, our chances of success will rise considerably!"
Li Tian Zun chuckled, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he smirked inwardly.
That woman's plan works very well for me! When she and Lie Yang are apart, I'll be able to take the chance to kill him!
Tian Sha Tian Zun wasn't only here to take revenge on the killer of his son, and to massacre Wu Ling Academy. He also harbored grand ambitions. There could only be one king in a kingdom, after all. As long as he eliminated Lie Yang, he would become the indisputable number one exponent among the demonic sects. Then, with his main rival gone, he could begin to unite all the demonic sects under him and reign as their demonic emperor.
Unfortunately, Tian Sha Tian Zun didn't know that Bai Yue was already aware of his plans, and probably had countermeasures of her own.
That was the problem with demonic sects. They were always backstabbing and betraying each other, rather than really unifying in the face of a common threat. Their ambitions and greed always got in the way of honor and loyalty, and they would eventually fall apart after murdering each other.
It was the only reason why the Great Zhou Empire was able to endure despite having such monstrous enemies dwelling along its borders. Their enemies were divided, and often cause more harm to each other than to the Great Zhou Empire. With incessant infighting and constant betrayal, the demonic sects ended up keeping each other in check and were unable to grow beyond anything more than a persistant nuisance.
Even so, this "nuisance" often claimed countless lives and caused immeasurable damage when they temporarily allied to launch a massive attack. As long as they stayed united for even a brief period of time, they could achieve the unthinkable.
"With you and my senior working together," Bai Yue declared with a grin. "Wu Ling City is doomed. We'll be the first ones in history to bring down its impregnable fortresses, and lay the bright promises and infinite potential of the Martial Arts Alliance to waste!"
Both Lie Yang and Li Tian Zun watched impassively as Bai Yue waltzed dramatically to the center of the peak, spreading her hands in joy.
"I hereby announce…the assault on Wu Ling City shall now begin!"
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Soaring Peak.
A beautiful canyon of mountains that towered over verdant valleys, yet infested with trees and moss. Below, demonic creatures dwelled in the depths of its dense forests, lurking and hunting unfortunate victims and the like. An ominous air hung over the eerie atmosphere, the thick, gloomy air of the forest permeated with dread.
Glowing red eyes darted across the shadows, barely visible silhouettes of monstrosities rustling the leaves. The scent of death and blood strongly infused the surroundings, which appeared to intensify the bloodlust of the merciless denizens.
Despite the foul atmosphere, the peaks themselves were barren, soaring high into the sky and almost appearing to be something from another world. Atop one of those cliffs, two figures stood.
Lie Yang of the Blazing Sun Sect, and Bai Yue of the Lunar Moon Sect. The former was a middle-aged man with a neatly trimmed beard and a majestic stature, his dark cloak billowing behind him, and the latter was a woman a couple of years his junior, her beauty undiminished despite her age, and her long hair elegantly tied up into a bun. Sort of like Michelle Yeoh, I guess? Anyway, she was dressed in a simple but expensive dress.
"Senior," Bai Yue spoke up. "You and Li Tian Zun are ranked among the top of the Great Zhou Empire. Have you met him before?"
"No." Lie Yang turned to face her and shook his head. He took a deep breath, unable to still the uneasiness in his heart. "We're meeting for the first time tonight. To be honest, I never imagined that he would agree to cooperate with us."
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"The Martial Arts Alliance has forced our hands," Bai Yue explained bitterly. "If we do not stand united, then they will destroy us. Now, when they are falling out and divided, it's the best time to strike. To destroy them before they exterminate us."
Lie Yang nodded silently, conceding the point. He was not a violent man by nature, but he had chosen this path, and now the orthodox sects had declared him as an enemy. This was no longer a battle he faced by choice, but one that he was forced to win to ensure the survival of his sect.
"Besides, it's not as if we trust him," Bai Yue added, sensing her senior's mood. "We're just entering a cooperative relationship for mutual benefits. I'm sure you're aware of Tian Sha Tian Zun's notorious reputation."
"He does tend to backstab his allies to absorb their forces into his sect," Lie Yang acknowledged. "I hope you've devised a countermeasure for that."
"Of course." Bai Yue smiled. "Who do you think I am?"
The scheming queen of the moon. Bai Yue was famous for her schemes, plots and conspiracies. She was not as strong in combat as Lie Yang or Li Tian Zun, but she could certainly outwit them. More than a handful of powerful orthodox sects had fallen prey to her intricate traps, and ruthlessly annihilated. Bai Yue was capable of turning steadfast allies against each other, or making use of civil discord and inner strife to tear sects apart.
Lie Yang returned the smile, assured. As fearsome as Bai Yue was in terms of betrayals, she had always remained loyal to him. The two of them had a long history together, having trained under the same master before they decided to branch out and found their own sects. Even after they took charge of their own individual sects, the two remained close and fostered a strong alliance. Despite the Blazing Sun Sect and Lunar Moon Sect being two disaparate entities, most other demonic sects recognized them as two-in-one or the Sun and Moon Sect.
Not that anyone dared to say that to their faces.
"…That bastard sure is taking his time."
Lie Yang scowled when he detected a powerful trace of qi at the bottom of the cliff. Bai Yue nodded and placed a snow-white finger on her chin, uncertain because she didn't possess senses as sharp as her senior's.
"Li Tian Zun should be here any minute now."
"Here he is." Lie Yang's mood darkened, but he suppressed his frown. Bai Yue also detected Li Tuan Zun's presence a few seconds later, and the both of them turned toward the ramp that led to the peak of the cliff.
A few minutes later, the massive, muscular figure of Tian Sha Tian Zun strode up to tower over the both of them.
Even though he was twice the height of Bai Yue and about one and a half times as tall as the fairly sturdy Lie Yang, neither of the already present sect leaders were intimidated. They merely glanced up at the demonic visage, his red skin covered by black tattoos as usual. He kind of resembled a Japanese oni from old myths, but with more majestic clothing. Even though he wore a huge black cloak, his upper torso was bare, only half-concealed by the cloak. With only a metallic pauldron adorning his right shoulder, Li Tian Zun was otherwise displaying his broad chest and dorsal muscles for all to see. Not that girls would fall for a monstrous figure like his, but…well…it was a display of strength, not attractiveness.
"Lie Yang."
Li Tian Zun settled his eyes on Lie Yang, who glared back evenly, refusing to back down despite the intimidating aura pervading their surroundings. The leader of the Blazing Sun Sect merely nodded in acknowledgement.
"Tian Sha Tian Zun."
Bai Yue, on the other hand, could only gape at his imposing figure in shock. She didn't feel any fear, of course, but she was taken aback by how imposing Li Tian Zun was. His demonic aura exceeded her expectations.
However, being the sly schemer, she hid her surprise with a clap.
"Ha ha ha ha!" she laughed, her tone laced with flattery. "Both of you are top leaders indeed! The qi you're exuding is suffocating me!"
"There's no need for false flattery, Bai Yue." Li Tian Zun fixed his ominous gaze on her. "Let's get straight to the point."
"Very well." Smiling, Bai Yue bowed deferentially despite not being cowed by his overbearing demeanor. "I don't want to waste too much time on formality anyway. Let us begin. If you two would follow me…"
She led them to a small base camp that had been set up on the top of another peak. Tech-priests were murmuring incantations as they layered their precious machines with oil, and coaxing the lerthargic machine spirits to wake up…
…sorry, wrong universe. Technicians had set up a few holographic devices to beam 3D holograms into the air, which formed a detailed map of Wu Ling City. Right at the base of Wu Ling City was Wu Ling Academy.
"As you already know, Wu Ling City is a bastion of the Martial Arts Alliance. Ever since its establishment, it has never fallen. Not even once. It's the pride of the Alliance, having held out against the assaults of enemies for millennia."
Bai Yue smiled and licked her lips.
"Imagine the psychological blow to their moral we would deal if we successfully bring it down."
"Very clever." Li Tian Zun conceded with a nod. "If all goes well, this could even be a fatal blow to the Alliance…the start of their demise."
"One thing at a time," Lie Yang cautioned. "We don't know if we'll really be able to destroy the Martial Arts Alliance with this alone. In the first place, we still need to take down Wu Ling City, and it is a formidable place."
"Senior is correct, of course," Bai Yue agreed as she raised a hand and magnified one of the 3D holographic maps. "Wu Ling City's reputation is not without merit. Of attention is this Wu Ling Academy, and I wish to designate it as one of our main targets."
"I have heard rumors." Li Tian Zun nodded gravely. "Their young students have been given artificial qi, and they have been rapidly progressing along the martial way. I heard that many of them are just years away from reaching our levels – levels we took decades to reach. If we do not eliminate them immediately, then they will become an immense threat in future."
Lie Yang frowned. "It does not sit well with me to murder children."
"You think of them as children, Lie Yang?" Li Tian Zun scoffed. "Don't be naïve. In a few years, you will regret letting them live. They aren't children – given their insane growth, they are basically monsters. Don't let their appearances deceive you."
"Li Tian Zun is right," Bai Yue hastily added before her senior could muster a retort. "They may be young, but they still pose a formidable threat, especially in future. If we let them grow and develop their martial arts, we will no longer have the ability to defeat them in future. Then we would be exterminated by them instead."
"…even so…"
Lie Yang was still uncomfortable with the plan, but Bai Yue pushed on.
"Don't forget who is in the academy. The teachers are all top-rate martial artists. Not to mention the present director is Xiao Zhang, the famous hero of the Great Zhou Empire who single-handedly annihilated the Dark Forces Sect. He will not let his academy be razed without a fight. To get to the students, we must first defeat the adults, and each one of them is a formidable warrior in his or her own right. If you don't like fighting children, then you must admit that the teachers who are educating them are also strong enemies."
"How about this?" Li Tian Zun looked pretty pleased despite the objections to the scheme he so clearly favored. "Since Lie Yang is uncomfortable with launching an assault on the academy, I will do it. I'll lead my forces and attack Wu Ling Academy. I'll slaughter Xiao Zhang and all his staff, and then…I will eliminate the children." He turned to Lie Yang with a sneer. "That way you don't have to dirty your hands with the blood of children."
"That will be a great idea," Bai Yue quickly agreed before Lie Yang could protest. "We'll leave the academy to you then, Li Tian Zun."
"Thank you."
Little did Lie Yang and Bai Yue knew that Li Tian Zun's vendetta against the academy stretched beyond pragmatism or the future. He had a personal score to settle with the students of Wu Ling Academy, especially since he had obtained information that the prime suspects who murdered his son, Li Xue Wu, were students from that hated academy.
Even before this meeting, Tian Sha Tian Zun had long resolved to destroy Wu Ling Academy at any cost, to make them pay for the death of his son.
Of course, he made no mention of that to the other two sect leaders. Bai Yue most likely knew about it, or was at least vaguely aware. She had spies everywhere to collect intelligence on her enemies and her rivals. No doubt she knew about his son's death. She might even know who was responsible, but she had no intention of sharing that information.
Not unless Li Tian Zun was willing to pay the price.
There was no need to, however. Now that Li Tian Zun was given the task of exterminating Wu Ling Academy, he could just massacre all of its students. He didn't need to know which one of them killed his son – all of them would pay for his death with their lives.
"That's settled then. My senior, Lie Yang, together with his disciples, will lead a force of over 500 martial artists, as well as an army of demons, to serve as the vanguard. They will strike from the east. Senior, I'll leave bringing down the eastern gate to you."
Lie Yang nodded as he listened to Bai Yue's plan. Placing one hand in front of his chest, he bowed. "It will be done. The eastern gate will fall, or I will lose my life in the attempt."
"I will hold 200 martial artists in reserve, and lead 300 of them to assault the north gate. Oh, and we'll have a reinforcement of several hundred demons too." Bai Yue then turned to Li Tian Zun. "What do you think?"
"Fine. Then I'll lead 400 martial artists and a contingent of demons to attack the western gate. My sister will serve as my colonel." Tian Sha Tian Zun approached the holographic map. "That is where the academy is located anyway."
"Excellent!" Bai Yue was delighted. "It's extremely reassuring to have you cooperate with us, Li Tian Zun! And with your sister, Tian Sha Crow, joining the invasion, our chances of success will rise considerably!"
Li Tian Zun chuckled, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he smirked inwardly.
That woman's plan works very well for me! When she and Lie Yang are apart, I'll be able to take the chance to kill him!
Tian Sha Tian Zun wasn't only here to take revenge on the killer of his son, and to massacre Wu Ling Academy. He also harbored grand ambitions. There could only be one king in a kingdom, after all. As long as he eliminated Lie Yang, he would become the indisputable number one exponent among the demonic sects. Then, with his main rival gone, he could begin to unite all the demonic sects under him and reign as their demonic emperor.
Unfortunately, Tian Sha Tian Zun didn't know that Bai Yue was already aware of his plans, and probably had countermeasures of her own.
That was the problem with demonic sects. They were always backstabbing and betraying each other, rather than really unifying in the face of a common threat. Their ambitions and greed always got in the way of honor and loyalty, and they would eventually fall apart after murdering each other.
It was the only reason why the Great Zhou Empire was able to endure despite having such monstrous enemies dwelling along its borders. Their enemies were divided, and often cause more harm to each other than to the Great Zhou Empire. With incessant infighting and constant betrayal, the demonic sects ended up keeping each other in check and were unable to grow beyond anything more than a persistant nuisance.
Even so, this "nuisance" often claimed countless lives and caused immeasurable damage when they temporarily allied to launch a massive attack. As long as they stayed united for even a brief period of time, they could achieve the unthinkable.
"With you and my senior working together," Bai Yue declared with a grin. "Wu Ling City is doomed. We'll be the first ones in history to bring down its impregnable fortresses, and lay the bright promises and infinite potential of the Martial Arts Alliance to waste!"
Both Lie Yang and Li Tian Zun watched impassively as Bai Yue waltzed dramatically to the center of the peak, spreading her hands in joy.
"I hereby announce…the assault on Wu Ling City shall now begin!"
Soaring Peak.A beautiful canyon of mountains that towered over verdant valleys, yet infested with trees and moss. Below, demonic creatures dwelled in the depths of its dense forests, lurking and hunting unfortunate victims and the like. An ominous air hung over the eerie atmosphere, the thick, gloomy air of the forest permeated with dread.Glowing red eyes darted across the shadows, barely visible silhouettes of monstrosities rustling the leaves. The scent of death and blood strongly infused the surroundings, which appeared to intensify the bloodlust of the merciless denizens.Despite the foul atmosphere, the peaks themselves were barren, soaring high into the sky and almost appearing to be something from another world. Atop one of those cliffs, two figures stood.Lie Yang of the Blazing Sun Sect, and Bai Yue of the Lunar Moon Sect. The former was a middle-aged man with a neatly trimmed beard and a majestic stature, his dark cloak billowing behind him, and the latter was a woman a couple of years his junior, her beauty undiminished despite her age, and her long hair elegantly tied up into a bun. Sort of like Michelle Yeoh, I guess? Anyway, she was dressed in a simple but expensive dress."Senior," Bai Yue spoke up. "You and Li Tian Zun are ranked among the top of the Great Zhou Empire. Have you met him before?""No." Lie Yang turned to face her and shook his head. He took a deep breath, unable to still the uneasiness in his heart. "We're meeting for the first time tonight. To be honest, I never imagined that he would agree to cooperate with us." Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "The Martial Arts Alliance has forced our hands," Bai Yue explained bitterly. "If we do not stand united, then they will destroy us. Now, when they are falling out and divided, it's the best time to strike. To destroy them before they exterminate us."Lie Yang nodded silently, conceding the point. He was not a violent man by nature, but he had chosen this path, and now the orthodox sects had declared him as an enemy. This was no longer a battle he faced by choice, but one that he was forced to win to ensure the survival of his sect."Besides, it's not as if we trust him," Bai Yue added, sensing her senior's mood. "We're just entering a cooperative relationship for mutual benefits. I'm sure you're aware of Tian Sha Tian Zun's notorious reputation.""He does tend to backstab his allies to absorb their forces into his sect," Lie Yang acknowledged. "I hope you've devised a countermeasure for that.""Of course." Bai Yue smiled. "Who do you think I am?"The scheming queen of the moon. Bai Yue was famous for her schemes, plots and conspiracies. She was not as strong in combat as Lie Yang or Li Tian Zun, but she could certainly outwit them. More than a handful of powerful orthodox sects had fallen prey to her intricate traps, and ruthlessly annihilated. Bai Yue was capable of turning steadfast allies against each other, or making use of civil discord and inner strife to tear sects apart.Lie Yang returned the smile, assured. As fearsome as Bai Yue was in terms of betrayals, she had always remained loyal to him. The two of them had a long history together, having trained under the same master before they decided to branch out and found their own sects. Even after they took charge of their own individual sects, the two remained close and fostered a strong alliance. Despite the Blazing Sun Sect and Lunar Moon Sect being two disaparate entities, most other demonic sects recognized them as two-in-one or the Sun and Moon Sect.Not that anyone dared to say that to their faces."That bastard sure is taking his time."Lie Yang scowled when he detected a powerful trace of qi at the bottom of the cliff. Bai Yue nodded and placed a snow-white finger on her chin, uncertain because she didn't possess senses as sharp as her senior's."Li Tian Zun should be here any minute now.""Here he is." Lie Yang's mood darkened, but he suppressed his frown. Bai Yue also detected Li Tuan Zun's presence a few seconds later, and the both of them turned toward the ramp that led to the peak of the cliff.A few minutes later, the massive, muscular figure of Tian Sha Tian Zun strode up to tower over the both of them.Even though he was twice the height of Bai Yue and about one and a half times as tall as the fairly sturdy Lie Yang, neither of the already present sect leaders were intimidated. They merely glanced up at the demonic visage, his red skin covered by black tattoos as usual. He kind of resembled a Japanese oni from old myths, but with more majestic clothing. Even though he wore a huge black cloak, his upper torso was bare, only half-concealed by the cloak. With only a metallic pauldron adorning his right shoulder, Li Tian Zun was otherwise displaying his broad chest and dorsal muscles for all to see. Not that girls would fall for a monstrous figure like his, butwellit was a display of strength, not attractiveness."Lie Yang."Li Tian Zun settled his eyes on Lie Yang, who glared back evenly, refusing to back down despite the intimidating aura pervading their surroundings. The leader of the Blazing Sun Sect merely nodded in acknowledgement."Tian Sha Tian Zun."Bai Yue, on the other hand, could only gape at his imposing figure in shock. She didn't feel any fear, of course, but she was taken aback by how imposing Li Tian Zun was. His demonic aura exceeded her expectations.However, being the sly schemer, she hid her surprise with a clap."Ha ha ha ha!" she laughed, her tone laced with flattery. "Both of you are top leaders indeed! The qi you're exuding is suffocating me!""There's no need for false flattery, Bai Yue." Li Tian Zun fixed his ominous gaze on her. "Let's get straight to the point.""Very well." Smiling, Bai Yue bowed deferentially despite not being cowed by his overbearing demeanor. "I don't want to waste too much time on formality anyway. Let us begin. If you two would follow me"She led them to a small base camp that had been set up on the top of another peak. Tech-priests were murmuring incantations as they layered their precious machines with oil, and coaxing the lerthargic machine spirits to wake upsorry, wrong universe. Technicians had set up a few holographic devices to beam 3D holograms into the air, which formed a detailed map of Wu Ling City. Right at the base of Wu Ling City was Wu Ling Academy."As you already know, Wu Ling City is a bastion of the Martial Arts Alliance. Ever since its establishment, it has never fallen. Not even once. It's the pride of the Alliance, having held out against the assaults of enemies for millennia."Bai Yue smiled and licked her lips."Imagine the psychological blow to their moral we would deal if we successfully bring it down.""Very clever." Li Tian Zun conceded with a nod. "If all goes well, this could even be a fatal blow to the Alliancethe start of their demise.""One thing at a time," Lie Yang cautioned. "We don't know if we'll really be able to destroy the Martial Arts Alliance with this alone. In the first place, we still need to take down Wu Ling City, and it is a formidable place.""Senior is correct, of course," Bai Yue agreed as she raised a hand and magnified one of the 3D holographic maps. "Wu Ling City's reputation is not without merit. Of attention is this Wu Ling Academy, and I wish to designate it as one of our main targets.""I have heard rumors." Li Tian Zun nodded gravely. "Their young students have been given artificial qi, and they have been rapidly progressing along the martial way. I heard that many of them are just years away from reaching our levels levels we took decades to reach. If we do not eliminate them immediately, then they will become an immense threat in future."Lie Yang frowned. "It does not sit well with me to murder children.""You think of them as children, Lie Yang?" Li Tian Zun scoffed. "Don't be nave. In a few years, you will regret letting them live. They aren't children given their insane growth, they are basically monsters. Don't let their appearances deceive you.""Li Tian Zun is right," Bai Yue hastily added before her senior could muster a retort. "They may be young, but they still pose a formidable threat, especially in future. If we let them grow and develop their martial arts, we will no longer have the ability to defeat them in future. Then we would be exterminated by them instead.""even so"Lie Yang was still uncomfortable with the plan, but Bai Yue pushed on."Don't forget who is in the academy. The teachers are all top-rate martial artists. Not to mention the present director is Xiao Zhang, the famous hero of the Great Zhou Empire who single-handedly annihilated the Dark Forces Sect. He will not let his academy be razed without a fight. To get to the students, we must first defeat the adults, and each one of them is a formidable warrior in his or her own right. If you don't like fighting children, then you must admit that the teachers who are educating them are also strong enemies.""How about this?" Li Tian Zun looked pretty pleased despite the objections to the scheme he so clearly favored. "Since Lie Yang is uncomfortable with launching an assault on the academy, I will do it. I'll lead my forces and attack Wu Ling Academy. I'll slaughter Xiao Zhang and all his staff, and thenI will eliminate the children." He turned to Lie Yang with a sneer. "That way you don't have to dirty your hands with the blood of children.""That will be a great idea," Bai Yue quickly agreed before Lie Yang could protest. "We'll leave the academy to you then, Li Tian Zun.""Thank you."Little did Lie Yang and Bai Yue knew that Li Tian Zun's vendetta against the academy stretched beyond pragmatism or the future. He had a personal score to settle with the students of Wu Ling Academy, especially since he had obtained information that the prime suspects who murdered his son, Li Xue Wu, were students from that hated academy.Even before this meeting, Tian Sha Tian Zun had long resolved to destroy Wu Ling Academy at any cost, to make them pay for the death of his son.Of course, he made no mention of that to the other two sect leaders. Bai Yue most likely knew about it, or was at least vaguely aware. She had spies everywhere to collect intelligence on her enemies and her rivals. No doubt she knew about his son's death. She might even know who was responsible, but she had no intention of sharing that information.Not unless Li Tian Zun was willing to pay the price.There was no need to, however. Now that Li Tian Zun was given the task of exterminating Wu Ling Academy, he could just massacre all of its students. He didn't need to know which one of them killed his son all of them would pay for his death with their lives."That's settled then. My senior, Lie Yang, together with his disciples, will lead a force of over 500 martial artists, as well as an army of demons, to serve as the vanguard. They will strike from the east. Senior, I'll leave bringing down the eastern gate to you."Lie Yang nodded as he listened to Bai Yue's plan. Placing one hand in front of his chest, he bowed. "It will be done. The eastern gate will fall, or I will lose my life in the attempt.""I will hold 200 martial artists in reserve, and lead 300 of them to assault the north gate. Oh, and we'll have a reinforcement of several hundred demons too." Bai Yue then turned to Li Tian Zun. "What do you think?""Fine. Then I'll lead 400 martial artists and a contingent of demons to attack the western gate. My sister will serve as my colonel." Tian Sha Tian Zun approached the holographic map. "That is where the academy is located anyway.""Excellent!" Bai Yue was delighted. "It's extremely reassuring to have you cooperate with us, Li Tian Zun! And with your sister, Tian Sha Crow, joining the invasion, our chances of success will rise considerably!"Li Tian Zun chuckled, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he smirked inwardly.That woman's plan works very well for me! When she and Lie Yang are apart, I'll be able to take the chance to kill him!Tian Sha Tian Zun wasn't only here to take revenge on the killer of his son, and to massacre Wu Ling Academy. He also harbored grand ambitions. There could only be one king in a kingdom, after all. As long as he eliminated Lie Yang, he would become the indisputable number one exponent among the demonic sects. Then, with his main rival gone, he could begin to unite all the demonic sects under him and reign as their demonic emperor.Unfortunately, Tian Sha Tian Zun didn't know that Bai Yue was already aware of his plans, and probably had countermeasures of her own.That was the problem with demonic sects. They were always backstabbing and betraying each other, rather than really unifying in the face of a common threat. Their ambitions and greed always got in the way of honor and loyalty, and they would eventually fall apart after murdering each other.It was the only reason why the Great Zhou Empire was able to endure despite having such monstrous enemies dwelling along its borders. Their enemies were divided, and often cause more harm to each other than to the Great Zhou Empire. With incessant infighting and constant betrayal, the demonic sects ended up keeping each other in check and were unable to grow beyond anything more than a persistant nuisance.Even so, this "nuisance" often claimed countless lives and caused immeasurable damage when they temporarily allied to launch a massive attack. As long as they stayed united for even a brief period of time, they could achieve the unthinkable."With you and my senior working together," Bai Yue declared with a grin. "Wu Ling City is doomed. We'll be the first ones in history to bring down its impregnable fortresses, and lay the bright promises and infinite potential of the Martial Arts Alliance to waste!"Both Lie Yang and Li Tian Zun watched impassively as Bai Yue waltzed dramatically to the center of the peak, spreading her hands in joy."I hereby announcethe assault on Wu Ling City shall now begin!"
